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Resources for Suicide

From the World Health Organization and the International Association for Suicide Prevention, this guide presents evidence that media reports about suicide can enhance or weaken suicide prevention efforts.

Media coverage of suicide is a public health issue. In addition to judging whether a story is newsworthy, journalists need to be aware that their reporting can have wider impacts, not just on relatives and friends of the deceased, but also on readers and audiences. Dart Centre Europe has released a new, comprehensive tip sheet for journalists on covering suicide.

Earlier this month, a series exploring suicide prevention efforts for teenagers, college students and elderly Americans aired on Arizona public radio. It was produce by participants of the Dart Center's 2012 "Covering Suicide" workshop.

A workshop for journalists on covering suicide, sponsored by the Thomas Scattergood Foundation for Behavioral Health and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, took place September 21 and 22 at WHYY in Philadelphia.